The present invention relates to novel benzazepine derivatives having pharmacological activity, processes for their preparation, to compositions containing them and to their use in the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
JP 2001226269 and WO 00/23437 (Takeda Chem Ind Ltd) describe a series of benzazepine derivatives which are claimed to be useful in the treatment of obesity. DE 2207430, U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,749 and FR 2171879 (Pennwalt Corp) and GB 1268243 (Wallace and Tiernan Inc) all describe a series of benzazepine derivatives which are claimed as being antagonists for narcotics (such as morphine or codeine) and also anti-histamines and anticholinergic agents. WO 02/14513 (Takeda Chem Ind Ltd) describe a series of benzazepine derivatives with GPR12 activity which are claimed to be useful in the treatment of attention deficit disorder, narcolepsy or anxiety. WO 02/02530 (Takeda Chem Ind Ltd) describe a series of benzazepine derivatives as GPR14 antagonists which are claimed to be useful in the treatment of hypertension, atherosclerosis and cardiac infarction. WO 01/03680 (Isis Innovation Ltd) describe a series of benzazepine derivatives which are claimed as effective agents in the preparation of cells for transplantation in addition to the inhibition of diseases such as diabetes. WO 00/21951 (SmithKline Beecham plc) discloses a series of tetrahydrobenzazepine derivatives as modulators of dopamine D3 receptors which are claimed to be useful as antipsychotic agents. WO 01/87834 (Takeda Chem Ind Ltd) describe a series of benzazepine derivatives as MCH antagonists which are claimed to be useful in the treatment of obesity. WO 02/15934 (Takeda Chem Ind Ltd) describe a series of benzazepine derivatives as urotensin II receptor antagonists which are claimed to be useful in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.
The histamine H3 receptor is predominantly expressed in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), with minimal expression in peripheral tissues except on some sympathetic nerves (Leurs et al., (1998), Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 19, 177-183). Activation of H3 receptors by selective agonists or histamine results in the inhibition of neurotransmitter release from a variety of different nerve populations, including histaminergic and cholinergic neurons (Schlicker et al., (1994), Fundam. Clin. Pharmacol. 8, 128-137). Additionally, in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that H3 antagonists can facilitate neurotransmitter release in brain areas such as the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, relevant to cognition (Onodera et al., (1998), In: The Histamine H3 receptor, ed Leurs and Timmerman, pp 255-267, Elsevier Science B.V.). Moreover, a number of reports in the literature have demonstrated the cognitive enhancing properties of H3 antagonists (e.g. thioperamide, clobenpropit, ciproxifan and GT-2331) in rodent models including the five choice task, object recognition, elevated plus maze, acquisition of novel task and passive avoidance (Giovanni et al., (1999), Behav. Brain Res. 104, 147-155). These data suggest that novel H3 antagonists and/or inverse agonists such as the current series could be useful for the treatment of cognitive impairments in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders.